LONDONDERRY, N.H. — On the rise in a tightening race, Marco Rubio shouldered intensifying attacks Friday from moderate-leaning Republicans who fear a strong Rubio showing in Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary could spell the end for their frazzled presidential campaigns.

Jeb Bush and Chris Christie accused Rubio of a lackluster set of accomplishments. Bush, campaigning with his mother, former first lady Barbara Bush, summed up the Florida senator’s achievements in one word: “Nothing.”

On the Democratic side, the gloves were off in a campaign that had shown more signs of comity than rancor — until now. A day after jousting in a feisty debate, Hillary Clinton struggled to defend herself against Bernie Sanders’ insinuations that she’s beholden to Wall Street, while Sanders faced fresh doubts about his experience on foreign policy.

As candidates crisscrossed the state, a burst of soggy snow became the latest obstacle to winning support among undecided voters. The winter surprise sidelined Donald Trump and Sanders, who canceled afternoon events.

Blizzard notwithstanding, the all-out push for votes illustrated the growing stakes for Tuesday’s vote. New polls showed Rubio on the rise in New Hampshire and nationally, raising his hopes that Republican Party leaders would unite behind him in a bid to defeat the two polarizing front-runners: Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

Cruz, the victor in last week’s Iowa caucuses, was struggling to put complaints about his campaign’s tactics in the rearview mirror, as new evidence emerged of what challenger Ben Carson has dubbed “dirty tricks.” Carson told a Fox News podcast that Cruz’s lackadaisical defense brought to mind Clinton’s response to the attacks in Benghazi, Libya.

“I’m not saying that it rises to the level of Benghazi. I’m saying it’s the same kind of attitude,” Carson said. “The attitude being: It’s water under the bridge.”

More in Washington DC

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Wednesday that whistleblower protections passed by Congress in the wake of the financial crisis of 2008 apply only when those alleging corporate misdeeds bring their information to the government.

Two senior U.S. Geological Survey officials have stepped down after Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke demanded that they provide his office with confidential data on the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska before it was released to the general public.

The father of a Columbine shooting victim said he left a Wednesday meeting at the White House with hope that national policymakers were ready to do more about school violence — a change even from the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre.

Democrats are poised to reject three Republican bills to loosen restrictions on guns Wednesday as the national debate about firearms following last week’s high school shooting in south Florida has forcefully made its way into Colorado and the state legislature.